Many printed circuit boards or "cards" are provided with a card ejector, typically coupled either directly to the card or to a printed circuit board (PCB) carrier for use in removal or insertion of the cards in the chassis or box of an electronic device. Typically, card ejectors are positioned adjacent two proximal corners of a PCB or PCB carrier and are rotatable through an angle, typically 90 degrees, by lifting or pushing a tab portion of the ejector. A portion of the ejector perimeter typically includes a hooked recess for engagement with a post or pin which is located in a fixed position with respect to the chassis. In typical use, when the card is fully inserted and in place in the electronic device, the chassis post or pin is positioned within the ejector recess. When it is desired to remove the card, the tabs of the two card ejectors are substantially simultaneously rotated about 90 degrees causing the ejector to impart a upward ejecting force on the card (or card carrier) as the edges of the ejector recess bear against the chassis posts. The card ejectors are configured such that the ejection motion resulting from rotation of the card ejector suffices to substantially disengage the card from the holder or socket with which it is engaged, permitting complete manual withdrawal of the card, with relatively small force requirement.
In the usual situation, it is desirable to be able to retain the card ejector either in its fully closed position (i.e. the position of the ejector when the card is fully inserted into the chassis) or the fully opened position (typically with the tab rotated 90 degrees from the fully closed position of the tab), i.e. to restrain the ejector from free rotation when the ejector is in the fully closed or fully opened position. Some card ejector devices have been provided which include a separate position-retaining mechanism or device, such as a spring-loading or spring-locking device for loading or locking the ejector in the fully opened or fully closed position (or both). Such mechanisms, while operable for certain situations, can present some undesirable features, such as the need to provide multiple parts (e.g. springs or other urging parts, separate from the ejector body) the need for mounting multiple different parts with respect to one another and/or the PCB (or PC carrier) the need for assuring proper alignment of the various different parts during assembly, and the like. As with many systems having multiple parts, such multiple part ejector retention system tends to create undesirably high costs of designing, fabricating, maintaining, and the like. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a card ejector which can retain the ejector in at least fully open and fully closed position while reducing or eliminating the need for multiple different components or parts for the ejector system or otherwise simplifying the design fabrication and/or use of the ejector.